Collection Development and
Material Selection Plan of the
April 5, 2007
1.
Introduction
The Leadership
Team for the West Ranch High School Library has adopted the following
Collection Development Policy to guide the librarian and to inform the school
community about the principles upon which library collections are developed and
maintained.
The Mission
Statement of the
“
2. Philosophy of materials selection
Since no library
can possibly acquire ALL the print and non-print materials published, every
library must employ a policy of selectivity in the material it can
acquire. The West Ranch High School Library
operates with the following philosophy of material selection:
2.1
The library
exists to provide within its financial limitations the widest possible range of
informational and recreation and avocational materials to the largest number of
students and teachers consistent with the curriculum needs of the school, its
ethnic diversity.
2.2
The
1.
The
School Library Bill of Rights (appendix A)
2.
Students
Right to Read, by the National council of Teachers of English (appendix B)
2.3
Analysis of
current student demographics, course offerings and evidence of areas of
interest demonstrated in use statistics.
2.4
Other school and
community resources are taken into consideration when developing collections as
library staff may obtain this material through inter-school-library loan.
2.5
Consideration of
what additional information may be obtained through electronic access and the
Internet. As library staff determines
what information sources should be made available to the public through the
Internet, material will be selected using the same principles that are applied
to books and other formats.
2.6
New Formats will
be considered for collection as new technology dictates.
2.7
All material
will be selected exercising impartial and judicious acquisitions practices,
employing standards which consider literary, educational, informational,
popular and recreational value.
Additionally, when selectors are faced between choices of appropriate
material as outlined in this policy, they will rely upon authority and
effectiveness of presentation as well as qualities conducive to independent
critical thought and understanding.
2.8
Allocation of
the materials and budget and the number of items purchased for each area of the
collection will be determined by indicators of actual and potential use, the
average cost per item and objectives for development of the collection as
expressed in the West Ranch High School Library’s Collection Development Plan
that follows.
3.
Library Audience and Roles
The West Ranch
High School Library’s primary audience is the students of the
|
Primary: |
CURRICULLUM
SUPPORT--We provide materials which enhance and support students in order to
enrich educational resources available to the students and to promote a
lifelong use of libraries REFERENCE
INFORMATION—We address our student’s need for information related to
curricular research and personal future goals. CURRENT TOPICS
AND TITLES—We help to fulfill the student’s need for information about
popular cultural and social trends and their desire for satisfying popular
recreational experiences. |
|
Secondary: |
LIFELONG
LEARNING; We help address the teacher’s desire for self-directed personal
growth and development opportunities. |
4.
Collection Development Objectives of
4.1
To provide
contemporary and popular authors and to insure inclusion of materials with
demonstrated enduring worth.
4.2
To provide materials
that meet student’s interest and needs in a timely manner. Demonstrated curricular demand may be
considered a primary criterion for the selection of materials.
4.3
To provide a
broadly based and diverse collection that can support the roles of the Library
as outlined above.
4.4
To strive to
provide a balance of viewpoints on all subjects in its collection.
4.5
To purchase
current materials proportionate to levels of demand and use, taking care to
anticipate and respond to indications of significant new needs.
4.6
To practice
ongoing collection management, using output measures, reports from automated
library system and other data for continuous collection evaluation. Worn and/or
obsolete materials will be weeded from the collection on a regular basis.
4.7
To keep abreast
of technological changes which affect the development of the collection.
4.8
To be aware of
resources available in surrounding school and public libraries and to avoid
unnecessary duplication of resources while ensuring wide coverage of subjects.
5.
Placement of Material
5.1
The placement of
material within the West Ranch High School Library is determined by several
factors. The Library uses Dewey Decimal
Classification. This classification
scheme divides materials by subject.
Professional catalogers using common cataloging tools place materials
ordered in the proper subject area and assign them to Reference, Non-Fiction
and Fiction, etc areas of the Library.
Reviews by professionals in the field recommending curricular
appropriateness of material aid Librarians in choosing and locating material.
5.2
A Special
Collection section of the Library is used to house materials that are of
special use for faculty. Material in
this collection may include curricular support for instruction, professional
development etc.
5.3
Various formats
are purchased for the Library System. To offer ease of use to our students,
these formats may be shelved in separate collections, Included in these
categories are Compact Discs, Audio Books, Videocassettes, DVD’s, Periodicals,
etc.
6. Material Selection Plan
Responsibility for
Selection
6.1
Ultimate responsibility
for material selection rests with the Library Media Teacher who operates within
the framework of policies determined by the William S. Hart Union High School
Board of Trustees. All staff members may
participate in the selection of Library material. The Library Media Teacher ensures that selections
reflect the Collection Development and Material Selection Plan of West Ranch
High School Library. As designated by
the Library Media Teacher, selectors are responsible for choosing appropriate
materials, weeding collections to keep them current with need and demand,
seeing that materials are in good physical condition and replacing them
whenever necessary, and spending their budgets in a prudent, timely and
organized manner.
Methods for Selection
6.2
Selection is a
discerning and interpretive process, involving a general knowledge of the
subject and recognition of the needs of the West Ranch High School
Community. Material is judged on the
basis of the content and style of the work as a whole, not by selected portions
or passages. The Library strives to
collect and make available differing points of view. Among standard criteria applied are: literary
merit, enduring value, accuracy, authoritativeness, social significance,
importance of the subject to the curriculum, cost, scarcity of material on the
subject, and availability elsewhere.
Quality and suitability of format are also considered. Specific considerations for each area of the
collection are noted in the Collection Development Plan. At times selectors select material that will
build a well-rounded collection, which includes varying viewpoints and opinions
that will meet supplementary study needs.
Selection Tools
6.3
Tools used in
selection include, but are not limited to, popular and professional journals,
trade journals, subject bibliographies, publisher’s promotional material and
reviews from reputable sources. Purchase
suggestions from West Ranch Library patrons: students and teachers are welcome
and provide the library staff with useful information about interest or needs
that may not be adequately met by the collection. West Ranch Library patrons’ suggestions will
be governed by this Material Selection Policy in making additions or deleting
items from the collection.
Material Format
6.4
Material is
purchased in the most appropriate format for heavy use. Books are generally
purchased in hardcover editions for durability.
However, paperback editions may be purchased in cases where the
hardcover edition is expensive, unavailable or would be either used
infrequently or is an item that would be weeded from the collection in a few
years. Library editions are purchased
for heavily used titles for durability.
6.5
The West Ranch
High School Library does not buy textbooks.
Textbooks are defined by The William s.
6.6
The West Ranch
High School Library does not buy workbooks, consumable books with fill-in
exercises and questions to be answered on the pages themselves.
6.7
The Library
shall provide material in popular non-print formats, including audio books, DVD
and VHS. Non-print material purchased
for the Library will concentrate on curricular support. As with print material, all non-print is
purchased with attention to potential demand and use.
6.8
New formats will
be considered for the collection when a significant portion of the
Multiple Copies
6.9
While the
Library does not have the budget to buy multiple copies of every title it owns,
it does buy multiple copies of titles having high customer demand. Each selector determines how many copies of a
title should be ordered, and in what format.
When there are more than five requests for a title, additional copies
may be purchased within limits of the materials allocation. The library is limited to nine or less copies
as described in supplementary instruction materials adoption guidelines from William
S. Hart Union High School Board of Trustees.
6.10
The Library
believes that materials selected for the circulation collection should be
judged on merit and value to the collection, rather than cost of an item. If an
item is expensive (above $100 in price), the selector will check to see what
other materials on the subject are in the collection, how this new title
compares and the importance of the title to the development of the
collection. If the selector decides it
is needed, the title will be added to the circulating collection and treated as
any other item. If it is lost or
damaged, the selector will decide if it should be replaced.
Weeding of Materials
6.11
The Collection
Development Plan serves as a guide for weeding and maintaining the collection
as well as for the selection of material.
Titles are withdrawn from the Library’s collection through systematic
weeding by the Library staff or because of loss or physical damage. Material that has been lost or damaged may be
replaced using the same criteria as for selection. Other factors which selectors must consider
when deciding on replacements include the number of copies of a title the
Library System owns, the availability of newer material on the subject, the
importance of the work in its field, its listing in standard bibliographies and
its cost. Generally, in any one year,
the Library will not spend more than five to ten percent (5%-10%) of the
materials budget allocated to a collection on replacement and retrospective
purchases.
6.12
Systematic
weeding of the collection is required of every selector in order to keep the
collection responsive to student needs, to insure its vitality and usefulness
to the
6.13
Withdrawn
material that is in good condition may be given to the Friends of West Ranch
High School Library for sale in the Friend’s Bookstore or offered to other
William S. Hart School District Libraries as a donation Nor material will be held for or given to
individuals.
7.
Evaluation of the Collection
The collection
needs continuous evaluation in order to insure that the Library is fulfilling
its stated objectives to provide material in a timely manner to meet West Ranch
High School Community interests and needs.
7.1
At least once
every 5 years, a formal collection evaluation should occur in which statistical
tools such as circulation reports, collection turnover rates, fill rates,
reference fill rates, shelf allotments and volume counts are studied to
determine how the collection is being used and how it should change to answer
West Ranch High School Community needs.
7.2
The formal
evaluation should also include qualitative performance measure in which the
collection’s holdings are checked against standard bibliographic tools such a Outstanding
Books for High School Libraries, Best
Books for YA, Best Books: A
Reader’s guide and literary reference book, School Library Catalog and
subject specialty catalogs and lists to be sure that the Library is acquiring
recommended material.
7.3
The material is
examined for physical condition and frequency of use. Finally, West Ranch High School Community input
and community surveys should also be used in evaluating the success of the
collection in meeting its mission and objectives.
8.
Gifts
8.1
Gifts of books
and other library material are accepted by the Library with the understanding
that they will be considered for addition to the collection in accordance with
the Collection Development and Material Selection Plan. The Library reserves the right to sell or
otherwise dispose of gift material not added to the collection. Once materials have been donated to the
library it becomes property of the West Ranch High School Library and can not
be returned. Gifts are therefore only
accepted with the understanding that the library may at anytime, even if the
material is deemed suitable or unsuitable for inclusion in the collection,
discard the gift in any way it sees fit.
8.2
If the title is
already in the collection, it will be added only if it is in good condition, if
a duplicate is needed, if copies need replacement and if the title has not been
superseded.
8.3
If the title is
not in the collection, it will be evaluated on the same merits as other
material added to the collection using the Material Selection Plan outlined
above.
8.4
Generally
collections of books may be accepted by action of the Leadership Committee,
with the proviso that the Committee may dispose of items which do not meet
criteria for inclusion in the collection in whatever manner they deem
appropriate, including selling, donating the items. Any restrictions which necessitates special
housing or which prevent integration of the gift into the general Library
collection, or any deviations from this policy, require approval of the
Leadership Committee. The West Ranch High School Library will not assign a
value to any gift material. However, the
Library will make available to donators a gift receipt for the particular
number of books, records, boxes or books, with comment on condition.
9. Reconsideration of Library Material
9.1
A singular
obligation of any school library is to reflect a balanced and diverse set of
ideas or differing points of view within its collection. The West Ranch High
School Library does not endorse particular beliefs or views, nor does the
selection of an item express or imply endorsements of the viewpoint of the author.
9.2
Library material
will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the
contents, nor will items be sequestered, except for the purpose of protecting
them from theft or damage.
9.3
Comments from
members of the West Ranch High School Community about the collection or
individual items in the collection frequently provide librarians with useful
information about interest or needs that may not be adequately met by the
collection. The Library welcomes
expression of opinion by the West Ranch High School Community, but will be
governed by this Collection Development Plan in making additions to or deleting
items from the collection.
9.4 Level I
Citizens who
request the reconsideration of library material will be referred to the building
principal. Citizens will be asked to put
their request in writing by completing and signing a form, appended to this
policy, entitled “Request for Review of Instructional Material.” (Appendix C)
9.4.1.
The Library
Media Teacher will routinely keep the Leadership Committee informed of any and
all requests to reconsider at the next regular meeting of the committee.
9.4.2.
A request for
review of the appropriateness of selected materials may be made by and resident
or employee of the
9.4.3.
Upon receipt of
a formal written request, the principal will form a site committee to examine
and review the questioned material. The
committee will be composed as follows:
1.
The
principal or other building administrator (Chairperson)
2.
A
teacher
3.
A
parent
4.
A
department chairperson
5.
The
school library media teacher; if not available, another library media teacher in
the District
No
recommendation of the committee shall be made without the vote of all committee
members present and all committee members, including the chairperson,
voting. All voting shall be by secret
ballot and the results shall be recorded.
9.4.4.
Within twenty
(20) work days after the complaint is acknowledged, the committee will prepare
and submit to the principal a written report of its review and recommendations
concerning the appropriateness of the material for its specified use. The building principal will, within five (5) school days of receipt of the
committee’s report, send to the complainant his/her decision together with a
copy of the committee’s report. A copy
of the decision and the committee’s report shall be sent to the Assistant
Superintendent.
9.5 Level II
If the
complainant is not satisfied with the decision, a written request may be made
within ten (10) work days to the Assistant Superintendent for a review. The Assistant Superintendent will acknowledge
the request within ten (10) work days of its receipt and form a committee
composed as follows:
1.
Director
of Curriculum (Chairperson)
2.
Two
teachers
3.
Two
parents
4.
One
administrator
5.
One
library media teacher
9.5.2
Within twenty
(20) work days after the compliant is acknowledged, the committee will prepare
and submit to the Assistant Superintendent a written report of its review and
recommendations concerning the appropriateness of the material for its specified
use.
9.5.3
The Assistant
Superintendent will, within his/her decision together with a copy of the
committee’s report. A copy of the
decision and the committee’s report shall also be sent to the Superintendent.
No
recommendation of the committee shall be made without the vote of all committee
members present and all committee members, including the chairperson,
voting. All voting shall be secret
ballot and the results shall be recorded.
9.6. 1 Level III
If the
complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the Assistant Superintendent,
the complainant may appeal the decision to the Superintendent. The request for appeal must be made in
writing within thirty (30) days of the Level II committee report’s submission
to the Assistant Superintendent.
9.6.2
The
Superintendent shall review the committee’s report and may accept, reject or
modify the recommendation. Within thirty
(30) calendar days following receipt of the committee’s report, the
Superintendent shall present to the William S. Hart Union High School Board of
Trustees both the committee’s report and the Superintendent’s
recommendation. This shall be done at
either a regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees.
9.6.3
The decision of
the Board of Trustees shall be final. The decision will then be sent in writing to
the complainant. Copies of the decision
shall be sent to the chairperson of the committee and the principal of the
school using the material in question.
10. Standard for Selection of Non-print
materials
10.1
The Library
shall select and provide non-print materials under the same provision as those
presented herein for print materials.
11. Summary
11.1
This policy is
dedicated to a selection of those materials of the highest quality in order to
assure an objective collection appropriate for the West Ranch High School
Community, the selection to be based upon principle rather than personal
opinion, reason rather than prejudice, and judgment rather than censorship.
Board Policy
Series No.
6000
Series title: INSTRUCTION
Sub-Title No . 6161.1
Sub-Title: INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS
Appendix A
School Library Bill of Rights
School libraries
are concerned with generating understanding of American freedoms and with the
preservation of these freedoms through the development of informed and
responsible citizens. To this end, the
American Association of School Librarians reaffirms the Library Bill of Rights
of the American Library Association and Asserts that the responsibility of the
school library is:
§
To
provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into
consideration the varied interests, abilities and maturity levels of the pupils
served.
§
To
provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary
appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.
§
To
provide a background of information which will enable pupils to make intelligent
judgments in their daily life.
§
To
provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young
citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical reading and
thinking.
§
To
provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic and cultural
groups and their contributions to our American heritage
§
To
place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the
selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a
comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library.
Endorsed by the Council of American
Libraries Association, July 1955
Board Policy
Series No.
6000
Series title: INSTRUCTION
Sub-Title No . 6161.1
Sub-Title: INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS
Appendix B
Students’ Right to Read
The right of any
individual to read is basic to democratic society. The right is based on the only tenable
assumption for democratic living: that the educated free man possesses the
powers of discrimination and is to be entrusted with the determination of his
own actions.
The right to
read, like all rights embedded in our constitutional traditions, can be used
wisely or foolishly. In many ways
education is an effort to improve the quality of the choices which are exercise
of this right. But to deny the
opportunity of choice in the fear that is may be unwisely used is to destroy
the freedom itself. For this reason, we
respect the right of individuals to be selective in their reading and of
individuals and groups to express their views for the guidance of others. But for the same reason, we oppose efforts by
individual or groups to limit the freedom of choice of others or to impose
their own standards or tastes upon a community at large.
What a young
reader gets from any literary selection depends both on the quality of the
selection and on characteristics of the reader. Books must be chosen with
awareness of the student, his reading ability, his mental and emotional
maturity, and the values he may derive from the reading. Some books are clearly for ten-year-olds,
while others may be more suitable for middle teens. Good taste, common sense, and professional
responsibility to students and to the humanistic tradition guide the teacher in
the making wise selections.
Request for Review of Instructional
Materials
Appendix C
Subject of Complaint: (Give author, title, publisher/producer, and
copyright/release date)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Type of Material: (textbook, video, library book, etc)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
School Site_______________________ Class/Teacher/Library_________________________
Request initiated by: ___________________________________________________________
(name)
______________________________________________________________________________
(address) (city) (zip) (telephone)
Representing _______self ______organization
Specify:
____________________________ ___________________________
(Name
of Organization) (address)
____________________________ ___________________________
(Name
of Principal Officer) (city) (state) (zip)
1. Date of complainant reviewed material in its
entirety. ______________________________
2. To what portion of the material do you
object? (please be specific, cite
pages, scenes, etc.)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you believe the material is
inappropriate for use in the classroom and/or library?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What do you believe might result from
continued use of the material?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Are there any conditions under which this
material might be used with value to the instructional program?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Can you recommend alternative material of
equal educational value?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Submitted
by:
___________________________
Signature
___________________________
Date
|
****For
Office Use Only**** Received
by:____________________ Signature _____________________ Date cc: Teacher, Librarian |